Thanks, CW. It was funny...and reinforces that need for critical analysis in reading. Just because someone is highly educated or the information comes from a "reliable" site, or whatever, doesn't mean that it is accurate. We've seen that many times here. One example that I hear all the time is that Chicago is called the "windy city" because it's near the lake, thus making it windy. The real reason is because of the hot air ("wind") from politicians.

[Please see my comment below, on August 19, 2012, in this thread. This post is incorrect.]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh, August 19, 2012 21:01

Originally posted by Kalleh:I hear all the time is that Chicago is called the "windy city" because it's near the lake, thus making it windy. The real reason is because of the hot air ("wind") from politicians.

So why isn't Boston also called a windy city, what with Boston baked beans and all...

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti

Wikipedia is great...but from time to time we all have seen some articles that are less than stellar.

Sure, a Wikipedia article can be a little henky, but if you check out the references, you find folks like Michael Quinion and Barry Popik. I read through the various theories, and I find that the etymology is unknown. Shu is welcome to his opinion, as am I.

As with many obscure etymologies, there are competing theories: see the Wikipedia article and its references.

An interesting article! I had to laugh at 'Windy City' in its boastful bombastic sense, the aspersion cast by rivals Cincinnatti (re: baseball) and NYC (re: competing for World's Fair location). To get a little 'windy' myself, I find the footnoted chart of annual wind speeds to be slanted toward Chicago! How dare they compare a measurement taken in Central Park? Try the blustery canyons around Wall St, where I worked for yrs, never without at least a trenchcoat & scarf.

Posts: 2073 | Location: As they say at 101.5FM: Not New York... Not Philadelphia... PROUD TO BE NEW JERSEY!

I really want Shu to chime in here. I apparently was wrong (above) about the real first reference to Chicago being the windy city. Please disregard that blustery reply! According to Shu, the real first reference to it apparently was the baseball one (see Wikipedia), though I probably need to shut up about this and let Shu comment.